I’ll be going about my day at the ranch, performing my horse and dog chores, happen to look down, and there they are, winking at me and stopping me in my tracks.

It’s as if they’d been shaped and placed there just for me.

If I went looking for heart-shaped rocks, I’d find nary a one — I’ve tried it. And yet, I have a whole bagful at this point. They often show up on days I could most use a sign of good will.

They’re not heart-shaped by a wide stretch of the imagination, either, but clearly in the shape of a heart. They cause me to look up and smile, feeling like the child of a benevolent universe.

And they’ve started up again, the last few days, after I hadn’t thought about it in months.

People get hummingbirds, butterflies, pennies, the lights flickering. I get heart-shaped rocks. Maybe from old friends, maybe from my grandmothers, maybe from dearly departed animals who miss me as much as I miss them.

I don’t know, exactly.

All I can say is thank you, and keep them coming. I’ll keep my mind and heart wide open, ready to receive.

I just had to share some of the most amazing pieces of art I’ve ever seen — breathtaking, really. They’re mural mosaics with an active grid — you can click on each separate square of the mosaic to see what is essentially many paintings within a painting.

It’s pretty clear the economy as of now is not in the greatest condition. Unfortunately, many non- profit and charity organizations have felt the negative impact from the current state as well. These organizations still need our help!

At uShip.com, we recently launched our charitable shipments program called Highway to Help. While we enjoy helping others save money, we get even more satisfaction being able to provide a way to help people and animals in need, especially in times of need. Our users seem to share the same philosophy. When a crisis strikes anywhere in the world, we receive thousands of emails from our users asking if they can ship charitable items in need or if they can help transport the items for free. This program aims to provide shipping solutions for non-profits and other charitable shipments. However, our Highway to Help program isn’t just for disaster relief, it is also open for donations year round. There shouldn’t have to be a crisis before people want to start giving. Charity categories such as education, food banks, and rescue animals need help on a daily basis, and now this charitable shipment program is able to help out.

Highway to Help essentially works the same as the original uShip market place. If someone wants to send a charitable shipment, they post it on our Highway to Help site, and then a service provider will select the shipment and get in contact with the sender to make sure the shipment arrives at the right destination. The key difference is this program is free of shipping fees. There are no costs to donate! Highway to Help extends to the equine category as well. There are numerous non-profit horse association groups out there that could benefit from this service. Shipments could range from the transporting of horses, feed, equipment, or anything needed for that organization.

Also, if you’re looking to buy a horse, why not consider adopting a rescue horse? Rescue organizations, when they first get a new horse in, they have to monitor and evaluate the horse. They make sure the horse is in good health and will train it if necessary. So even if the horse does come with bad habits, the rescue organization potentially can correct it before it is put out for adoption. They are able to get to know the horse completely to better inform and match up with potential adopters. The feeling of personal gratification comes along with adopting a horse. Knowing that you saved and gave a horse a second chance is priceless. Many horses come from abusive or poor backgrounds, and they deserve another chance. uShip’s charitable shipments program can help transport rescue horses to owners for free and ease the cost of adopting a horse. If you want to learn more please come visit Highway to Help here .

For any of your shipping needs keep uShip.com in mind. More importantly, for any charitable shipment service, keep our Highway to Help program in mind and Give a Ship!

Author’s Note: Before contracting with any shipper, especially of horses or other live animals, please be sure to do your homework.

Ask the shipper for insurance and license information (DOT) and be sure to choose a legal shipper. Illegal shipping goes on all the time and often these shippers will offer their services at lower bids. If the price is too good to be true, it probably is — your horse’s life and safety are paramount.

Shipping is stressful for horses; ask for references and speak with former customers before shipping your horse with any company on the internet.